Colonial Explorer Corps: The Academy Years by Julia Huni

Author:Julia Huni [Huni, Julia]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: IPH Media
Published: 2021-12-25T14:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY

I stared at Joss, my mouth hanging open.

“How is that possible?” Chymm demanded.

I pointed at Joss. “He used to be in Delta Black. He’s still connected to their flight channel.” I raised my voice, too excited to use the comm system. “Peter! Come down here.”

“And they call me the Neanderthal!” Joss flashed a grin over his shoulder. “I know how to use the comm.”

“If you can hear them, maybe they can hear you. Maybe you two shouldn't use the comm anymore.”

Joss shook his head, not turning. “I was on their all-flight channel. They won’t have ours.”

“What about Felicity and Terrine?” I asked.

He shrugged, his back still to me. “Only if they bother listening. Maybe we shouldn’t use our all-flight channel anymore. There’s only seven of us, so we can use a group call instead.”

Peter jumped the last few rungs of the ladder and landed beside me. “What's up?”

I explained and told him to step outside. “See if you can hear anything.”

He saluted me and jogged through the gate. I rolled my eyes and closed the gate.

We watched Peter's face through the blue static. He spoke to Joss then flicked his holo-ring. His brows drew together in concentration, then he nodded and gave a thumbs-up.

“Open the gate.” When the blue cleared, I told the boys to come back inside. “I want to see if you can hear them from in here.”

“I'll stay out while Peter tries,” Joss said. “That way we'll know for sure if they're actually talking.”

With the gate closed, Peter grinned. “They’re chattering up a storm, but nothing useful. I only hear a couple of voices, though. Not any of the legacies. Maybe there’s a distance component?”

“Now what?” Chymm asked.

I waved that off. “Now that we know, we have someone watch the app twenty-four seven. Or twenty-six eight, or whatever the local diurnal rhythm is. And we have Peter and Joss check Black’s comm system on a regular schedule.” I triggered the all-flight command. “Charlie Blue, assemble. By the fire.”

“Do you need me?” Chymm asked. “I want to keep working on this.”

“Don't test anything by yourself.” I narrowed my eyes at him. “Call for backup.”

“You got it.” He settled cross-legged in the dirt next to the bollard and flicked his holo-ring.

“I’ll watch the app,” Peter said as we moved toward our covered porch.

I ducked under the mod cube roof, even though it was at least half a meter above my head. “If those guys by the stream start to move, let us know right away.” I sat, leaning against the porch’s back wall. The others gathered around me. Marise poked at the firepit. “Joss, set up the rotation. Two people on duty around the clock. On top of the building is probably the best place.”

“I’ll use the current rotation.” He flicked the file above his palm. “One person watches the app, the other watches the perimeter. Switch off every twenty minutes. I'm going to stroll over to the cliff and see what our friends are up to.”

I looked at the faces gathered around me.

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